If a big (like southwest) Airplane engines go out in mid air what would happen?

Question

I thought about it when I was at 90,000 feet. Would the plane be able to glide. Would it start to spiral downwards. Give me details.

Answer 1

The plane becomes a glider. A spring-mounted turbine pops out from the fuselage and gives electrical control to the plane for limited instruments/navigation so that the plane may land.

It would not spiral out of control and crash.

Answer 2

you would die.

don't be so morbid.

Answer 3

SW uses 737s exclusively, and the glide ratio is the same on all of them. Airspeed is what makes an airplane fly, the engines just produce the airspeed. When the power goes off, trim for best glide and continue.  The glide ratio is about 18:1 on the 737.

Most pilots calculate where to start descent by multiplying the thousands of feet altitude by 3. If at 35,000 feet, it would glide 105 miles.

I have heard 737 pilots mention 10,000 at 30 miles out which would work out just right.

Answer 4

Luckily there is more than one engine.  But it happened to someone I know a month ago and they made an emergency landing.

Answer 5

there has never in the history of commercial aviation been a fatality or injury caused by the failure of all engines on a multiengine aircraft.

LOL @ 90 thousand feet!  you were in orbit!

Answer 6

airplanes are made to fly

if one went out then you would just make an emergency landing at the nearest airport. if you wre about 100 miles away going too knotts then you would definiately make it. if you were in the middle of the ocean then you would do your little squawk code and then land as safe as possible and then it you would make it pretty easily

Answer 7

first of all I doubt you were at 90 000 feet (unless you were in a space shuttle), most airliners cruise at 36 000 feet, some executive jets go to like 41 000.

Anyway, if a big airliner lost all engine power, it would just basically function as a glider and do a power-off landing

Answer 8

Gimly, Manitoba. 25 years ago.

An Air Canada Flight lost all engines (refuelling error) and glided from Northern Ontario to an abandoned WWII airfield in Gimly, Manotoba. Without power the landing was a little harsh and the nosewheel collapsed. All aboard were fine.

Answer 9

It would depend on how the engine's went out,i mean did they blow up or did they just stop running.If they blow up you would mot likely die, but if the engine just die out i think you might be able to glide it  

Answer 10

fuel contaminated with microbes and in some instances water can shut down engines at the same time.

that's why fuel sump draining  and fuel sampling/analysis is being c/out at regular intervals usually before first flight of the day. Aircraft can glide.

Answer 11

First, you were really at 30-40,000 feet.  If both engines go out, the plane turns into a glider.  Start heading towards the nearest airport, field, anything you can land on (in this situation, you should be able to reach an airport).  Maintain a speed that gives you the best glide ratio.  Run checklists to try to restart engines.  Inform ATC and the passengers.  I don't know the glide ratio of a 737, but I wouldn't be surprised if it could glide 50-100 miles, from cruising altitude.

Answer 12

they have 4 or more engine. Not likely all  4 would fail at the same time

Answer 13

smart blonde stole my answer lol

i was going to say research about the Gimly Glider. its an air canada flight that ran out of fuel in mid air and became a glider. the pilots then were forced to land on an abandoned air force base instead of a big airport cause they were too far. but they later found out that the airforce run way was turned into a drag strip and some people would of been run over by the plane. but when the pilot dropped the landing gear, all the wheels dropped except the front wheels. but it was a good thing because it caused the nose of the plane to scrape against the asphalt and the guard rail in the middle of the track which played a crucial role in stopping the plane.

so my answer is, it would turn into a glider. (as long as it maintains enough speed)

Answer 14

90 thousand feet? On the verge of space!!! 110,000 feet is the upper stratosphere! Anyway planes that lose all power will become gliders! They drop about 10,000 feet for every 1,000 feet forward motion. So at 90,000 feet you would glide about 9,000 feet forward. Most modern aircraft glide like bricks because they are unflyable! The only thing keeping them in the air is the 1,000 control movements per second achieved by the Avionics Computer using fly by wire. I would pack a parachute!